PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is calling for an amendment to the Parliamentary Standing Orders to allow for the impeachment of prime ministers. Speaking at a forum titled “Political Stability in Hung Parliament” at Sunway University, the Senate president highlighted that there are currently no provisions in the Standing Orders for the tabling of a motion of impeachment or a motion of confidence against a prime minister. This prevents such motions from ever being brought to the House, as government Bills take precedence. Wan Junaidi, former law minister, pointed out that countries like the UK have impeachment laws, which were used against former British prime minister Tony Blair in 2004.
Since 1976, there have only been three motions of confidence tabled by the government in Dewan Rakyat. Tun Hussein Onn went through a vote of confidence in 1976 during an emergency parliamentary sitting. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faced a confidence motion on November 3, 2003, just days after being sworn in as prime minister. Last year, on December 19, a confidence motion was tabled and passed for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership in the Dewan Rakyat.
Wan Junaidi intends to bring up the matter with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul during their joint committee on parliamentary reforms. He believes that besides amendments to allow for impeachment or motion of no confidence, other reforms, such as the tabling of the Private Member’s Bill, should also be considered.
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